Cheney's impressive resume commands attention

July 23, 2000
Web posted at: 6:53 p.m. EDT (2253 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- If one word can sum up why Texas Gov. George W. Bush might be considering Dick Cheney as the GOP vice presidential nominee, it might be "gravitas."

Cheney, 59, comes to the table with a resume that looks nearly ideal. He has experience as an elected official, at a high level inside the White House and in running a major federal agency.

Scott Reed, the former campaign manager for Bob Dole's 1996 run for the White House, said Sunday on CBS's "Face the Nation" that Cheney would bring a keen understanding of Washington to the Bush campaign. "He'd probably almost be like a prime minister with helping to set up the White House, setting an agenda and dealing with Congress," Reed said.

While Bush has yet to make a public decision about his running mate, speculation has focused on Cheney and former Sen. John Danforth of Missouri as leading candidates.

Cheney steps outside his house in McLean, Virginia, on Sunday

A former six-term congressman from Wyoming, Cheney forged close ties with President Bush, the governor's father, during the Persian Gulf War, when he served as defense secretary. During his years in the House, Cheney amassed a solidly conservative voting record.

Cheney also served in the Nixon White House and was chief of staff to President Ford.

Speaking Sunday on CBS, William Bennett, the GOP activist and former education secretary, said that if Bush settles on Cheney, "He's picking someone with whom he's in sync, not someone who will pretend to a kind of loyalty, but actually someone with whom he's very close."

Surprise selection possible

Bush is set to become the Republican presidential nominee in early August at the party's convention in Philadelphia. Aides to his campaign told CNN that the Texas governor has kept his own counsel during the selection process and that the final decision may come as a surprise.

One factor weighing in Cheney's favor is that his record of achievement is in areas that could be considered weaknesses for the younger Bush. The latter has no elected experience in Washington, and his military experience was limited to a stint as a pilot for the Texas Air National Guard.

Cheney has headed the younger Bush's vice presidential selection committee. He is well-liked and well-respected in GOP inner circles.

Cheney was born January 30, 1941, in Lincoln, Nebraska. He is married -- his wife, Lynne, is the former chairwoman of the National Endowment for the Humanities -- and has two children.

Cheney graduated from the University of Wyoming in 1965 and worked in several lower- to mid-level posts in the Nixon administration in the late 1960s and early 1970s. After leaving the administration to briefly work in the private sector, he returned to the political arena when Gerald Ford became president after Nixon's resignation.

After Ford left office, Cheney was elected to Wyoming's sole House seat, eventually rising to minority whip. He resigned the post when the elder Bush asked him to serve as defense secretary.

He currently is the chief executive officer of the Dallas-based Halliburton Co., an oil-services company.

Cheney moved to the top of the speculative list after news Friday he had changed his voter registration from Texas, where he has been working, to his home state of Wyoming, a move that could avoid constitutional problems caused by both members of a presidential ticket being registered in the same state.

The Associated Press reported Cheney made the surprise switch three days after Bush met with Danforth in St. Louis. The timing suggests Cheney's stock rose after the Texas governor had met and considered the large pool of candidates reviewed under Cheney's direction.

History of heart problems

One question surrounding Cheney is his health. He suffered three minor heart attacks -- in 1978, 1984 and 1988. He underwent quadruple bypass surgery in 1988 and has reported no heart trouble since.

Bush officials tried to play down the issue of Cheney's health on Sunday.

On CBS, Bush strategist Karl Rove said Cheney's history of heart trouble wouldn't be a campaign issue. "Those heart attacks occurred in the '70s and '80s, and he then served as secretary of defense in President Bush's administration and presided over Desert Storm," Rove said. "I don't know of a more stressful situation than being secretary of defense during an armed combat, and he seemed to do just fine."

Rove and chief spokeswoman Karen Hughes also dismissed suggestions Sunday that Cheney's ties to the oil industry would be a campaign issue.

And Rove said the Texas governor might well pick a running mate with Washington experience even though he says he wants to change the partisan tone in the nation's capital.

"Governor Bush is running to change the (partisan) tone of Washington, but that doesn't mean he's anti-Washington," Rove said on ABC's "This Week." "There are a number of people who have served in Washington who could help bring about that change."

CNN Correspondent Jonathan Karl and The Associated Press contributed to this report.